Half-title in Persian surrounded with a full-page intricate pattern of nested wood-engraved decorative borders printed in gold and red.

T.p. verso with printer's imprint: "Stephen Austin, Printer, Hertford.".

Text printed within decorative wood-engraved red borders.

With wood-engraved head-pieces and tail-pieces printed in red.

Publisher's advertisements on p. [4] at end.

Chromolithographed illustrations with imprint: "M & N Hanhart, Imp.".

"Of the plates contained in this book, three are facsimile reproductions of illuminations contained in a MS. copy of the Gulistān in the possession of the Royal Asiatic Society ... The illuminated border at the commencement of the Life of Saʻdī is from a MS. copy of the Kur'ān which was taken from Mīr Nasīr Khān, of Kelāt, at the battle of Dādar, and is now in the possession of the Translator."--Preface.

McLean, Ruari. Victorian book design, p. 172.

McLean, Ruari. Victorian publishers' book-bindings in cloth and leather, p. 58.

MASS copy 1: Bound in light green diagonal wave-grain cloth blocked in gold; a.e.g. With the Persian half-title design from within the text blocked in gold on the upper and lower covers. Endpapers printed in gold with decorative designs replicated from within the text and with imprint: "Bound by Stephen Austin, Hertford.".

MASS copy 2: Bound in light green diagonal wave-grain cloth blocked in gold in the same design and with the same endpapers and binder's imprint as copy 1; a.e.g.